Highlights:
- People worried this may turn out similar to the Skype fiasco situation.
- Discord still has interest in public offering.
- The gaming startup plans to retain its gaming section and be a part of XBox.
- This is the reason why it contacted the Xbox Chief and not the business department at Microsoft.
Introduction:
There was news around Discord entering into talks with Microsoft regarding a $10 billion plus sales. Looking at this, people worried that it may turn to a situation like the Redmond Skype acquisition. This situation happened in 2011. The communication platform didn’t muster success. Instead, it turns out to be a buggy piece of software.
Moreover, it is practically impossible to shut it down on Windows. It looks like Discord may not be a subject to the similar situation. The gaming-focused communication startup halts talks with Microsoft and other interested entities.
Statement from Wall Street Journal:
Wall Street Journal writes, “according to people familiar with the matter” Discord ends the talks with Microsoft. But the startup has still a lot of interest in a potential public offering. However, the sale is not completely off the table. The WSJ reports that the parties can come together to rekindle the deal later.
Bloomberg reports that Discord had communications with multiple potential buyers. The list includes Amazon and Epic Games but no sales were imminent. It is more likely that Discord will go public instead of selling it. Hence, the talks seemed preliminary.
Reports from Bloomberg sources:
But according to Bloomberg’s sources, Microsoft did not reach out to Discord. It was the other way round. But if a deal comes together, Discord could possibly retain the gaming-centric focus. And it can also become a part of XBox’s social features. Discord may take up another route unlike Skype which is a business tool for enterprises.
This could be the reason behind Discord’s communication with XBox chief Phil Spencer and not with the business department.